Lumber-stacking machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. W. SOUL. LUMBER STAGKING MACHINE.

No. 585,238. Patented June 29,1897.

(No Model.) a sheets-sheet 2. G. W. SOUL.

LUMB EB. STAGKING- MACHINE.

No. 585,238. Patented June 29, 1897.

ma mams PETERS cn., Fumo-Lwnm wAsmncrnn, n. c.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

1 G. W. SGUL.

LUMBBR STAGKING MACHINE.

No. 585,238. Patented June 29,1897.

Strom/w13 GEORGE W'. SOUL, OF MERIDIN, MISSSSIPPI.

LUMBER-STACKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,238, dated J une 29, 1897'. Application filed August 3, 1895. Renewed March 3, 1897. Serial No. 625,911. (No model.)

To LZ/l whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE XV. SOUL, a resident of Meridian, in the county of Lauderdale and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lumber-Stacking Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in lumber-stacking apparatus and more particularly to such as are employed for stacking lumber edgewise on dry-kiln trucks with spacing-sticks between the tiers, the object of the invention being to so construct the apparatus that all the boards of a proposed tier can be simultaneouslyv deposited on the truck.

A further object is to produce a lumberstacking apparatus which shall be comparatively simple in construction, easy to manipulate and control, and which shall be effectual in all respects in the performance of its functions.

Vith these objects in View the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in perspective, illustrating my improvements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are detail views.

A represents a framework comprising base or transverse timbers 1 2, vertical timbers or posts 3 4, diagonally-disposed timbers 5, connected at their respect-ive ends to the posts 3 Ll, and diagonally-disposed timbers 6, connected at one end to the posts 3 and at the other end to the base-timber l. At the rear end of the framework a transverse shaft '7 is mounted in suitable bearings secured to the diagonal timbers, and between the ends of said shaft a series of sprocket-wheels 8 8 8 are secured. At the other end of the framework a transverse shaft 9 is mounted in suitable bearings secured to the diagonal timbers 5, and to this shaft sprocket-wheels 10 are secured, said sprocket-wheels l0 corresponding in number and alining with the sprocketwheels 8. Sprocket-chains 'll are adapted to pass over the respective pairs of sprocketwheels 8 10, and to each sprocket-chain two (more or less) equidistant lugs 12 are secu red and adapted, as hereinafter explained, to carry lumber forward and depositit on trucks 13, (two or more,) the latter being mounted on suitable tracks 14, preferably leading to a kiln, where it is desired to run the loaded trucks for the purpose of drying the lumber thereon.

. The trucks employed are dry-kiln trucks.l

The lumber will be conveyed to the ma` chine from a lumber-trimmer or from any other source of supply by means of conveyerchains 18, each having lugs 19 placed at frequent intervals, said chains being preferably disposed in a horizontal plane, and the forward sprocket-wheels over which said chains run are disposed forwardly of the sprocket- Wheels 8. From this construction it will be seen that the con veyer-chains 18 are disposed at an angle to the conveyer-chains ll, so that as the lumber is conveyed to the chains 1l by the chains 18 it will be deposited on the chains ll, one board after another, and when sufficient lumber has thus accumulated to make a tier on the truck of the desired height the chains will be started, whereupon one of the lugs 12 on each chain 11 will engage the accumulated lumber and move it forward over the end of the framework and onto the trucks.

At the respective sides of the framework diagonally-disposed timbers 2O are secured, and at the forward end of the framework, at or near the top thereof, horizontal timbers 2l are secured, one at each side of the machine. On the horizontal timbers 21 the ends of a transverse timber 22 are located and adapted to be adjusted toward or away from the for- IOO ward ends of the conveyer-chains ll by means of screws 23, passing through brackets 24, secured to the timbers 2l, and each screw 23 is preferably provided with a handle or crank-arm 25, by means of which to operate it. To prevent the series of boards on the conveyer-chains from rising or buckling as they pass over the ends of the chains, a series of straps 26 are provided, one end of each strap being secured to the adjustable timber 22 and the other end being secured to a timber 27, mountedloosely on the lateral timbers 2O and extending over the convcyerchains ll. In order to maintain the straps tight against the lumber passing over the ends of the `conveyers land still permit said straps to yield in case of very excessive pressure against them, weights 28 are connected with the loose timber 27 by means of cords or chains 29, the latter being made to pass over pulleys 30, mounted on the lateral timbers 20.

Each truck 13 is provided at its forward end with a standard 3l, the upper end of which is bifurcated, as at 32. Horizontal bars 33 are secured at one end to the adjustable timber 22 and project forwardly some distance therefrom. A collar or clamp 34 is mounted on each bar and provided with an arm or extension 35, adapted to bear against the standard 3l of the truck. From each collar or clamp 34 an arm 36 projects, and each arm 3G is provided with an adjustable weight 37, whereby to increase the frictional contact of the collars with the arms or bars and thus said collars are in effect clamped to the horizontal bars, but they will be permitted to slide thereon when sufficient pressure is brought to bear against them. The collars 34 being normally clamped to the horizontal bars 33 and adapted to bear on the standards 3l and the bars 33 being secured to the timber 22 it will be seen that the standards and the trucks which carry them will be maintained normally in a practically fixed position to receive the lumber which is piled on the truck and the lirst tier of which rests against said standards, the latter thus forming, in effect, back guides for the .first tier of lumber as it passes from the conveyer-chains. Vhen the loading of a truck is first commenced, the upper ends of the standards 3l rest against stops 38, secured to the adjustable timber 22, the plates which constitute said stops being preferably extended upwardly and terminate in curved guides 39 to assist in properly directing the course of the lumber from the conveyer-chains to the vertical position which it is to occupy on the trucks. Against the lower end of each standard 3l aspring-stop 40 bears, said springstops being secured to the framework. Front guides or bars 4l 4l 42 42 are disposed parallel with some of the posts 3 of the framework. The guides or bars 4l 4l are adapted to be adjusted back and forth by means of screws 4l, passing through brackets 41h, secured to the posts 3, whereby to regulate the space to be occupied by a t-ier of boards-that is to say, the guide-bars 4l are adj Listed in accordance with the thickness of the lumber being stacked. For the first tier of boards the space between the guide-bars and standards on the trucks should be just sufficient to receive the boards without permitting them to fall heavily on the trucks-that is to say, there should be some friction between the boards and the guide-hars and standards, so that the boards will be forced down onto the trucks (between the guide-bars and standards) by means of the'lugs on the conveyerchains l l.

It is desirable to place spacing-sticks 43 between the tiers of lumber, so that when the trucks are run into the drying-kiln the air can properly circulate between. the tiers of lumber. After the first tier of lumber shall have been piled on the trucks spacing strips or sticks 43 will be placed in position, (after the trucks vshall have been moved,) their upper ends resting against the stops 38 and the lower ends resting on the trucks and the bottom spring-stops 40 made to bear against said sticks and maintain them tight against the last tier of boards. Before the next tier of boards can be deposited onto the trucks it is necessary that the latter be moved a distance equal to the thickness of the lumber and the stacking-sticks 43, and both trucks should be moved simultaneously. For this purpose the devices n ow to be described will be employed.

To each guide-bar 42 arms or brackets 44 45 are secured and made with openings 46. The lower portion of each arm or bracket is made with a rack-bar 47, the teeth of which project upwardly within the opening 46. A shaft 48 passes *through the openings of the arms or brackets 44, and is mounted at its.

ends in journal-boxes 48a, secured to the posts 3. The shaft 48 carries toothed segments 49, which are disposed within the openings 46 of the arms or brackets 44 and adapted to mesh with the rack-bars on said arms. A shaft 50 is similarly mounted with respect to the arms or brackets 45, andcarries toothed segments 5l, adapted to mesh with the rack-bars on said arms or brackets 45. The shafts 48 50 are provided, respectively, with arms 52 53, which are connected together `by means of a rod or pitman 54. From one of the shafts, preferably the shaft 50, an operating-lever 54 projects. From this construction and arrangement of parts it will be seen that when the operating-lever 54L is moved downwardly the toothed segments will be made to move the arms or brackets and the guide-bars which carry them forwardly, and as the said guidebars 42 bear against the lumber the trucks will be moved forwardly against the resistance offered by the friction-clamps on the arms or bars 33 a distance equal tothe thickness of the timber to be piled and the stacking or spacing sticks. In order to prevent the guide-bars 42 from being moved too far, I provide a stop 55 on aquadrant 56, against IOO IIO

which the operating-lever will abut. Vhen the trucks shall have been moved forwardly, the guide-bars will be moved back to their normal position by means of an upward movement of the operating-lever, which movement will be limited by a stop 57 on the quadrant. These stops 55 57 may be made adjustable.

Vhen the trucks shall have become loaded with tiers of lumberand intervening spacin gsticks, standards will be placed at the inner ends of the trucks, and the load willbe bound with suit-able chains, ropes, or rods, said chains, ropes, or rods being connected with the bifurcated upper ends of the standards.`

Preferably all the rear guide-bars 4l 42 are offset in their relation to the spacing strips or sticks which act as back guides, in order that the lumber (which varies somewhat in thickness) may spring between these guides, and hence pass down a space of proper width to accommodate the average thickness without undue binding.

It will be seen that the machine may be adapted for piling lumber of different thicknesses by adjusting the horizontal timber 22, to which the upper stick-stops 38, curved straps 26, and horizontal bars 33 are attached,

adjustment for minor variations being made by the guide-bars, as above explained.

As above intimated, I prefer to allow sufficient lumber to accumulate over the conveyer-chains l1 to make a complete tier, and while the lumber is thus accumulating I prefer to maintain the conveyer-chains at rest. Each carrier or conveyer chain may be provided with one lug, which, when it comes into contact with one end of the series of boards, will shove all the boards forward and onto the trucks. It is probable that two lugs on each conveyer-chain will be preferable and the two lugs be located equidistant apart. Vith such arrangement as soon as one series of boards shall have been discharged onto the trucks by one set of lugs the other set will be in position to take the neXt series or tier of boards, when the chains will be stopped until the desired amountof lumber shall have accumulated over them. Should only one set of lugs be used on the chains after one tier of lumber shall have been deposited onto the trucks, the chains would be allowed to run until the lugs should come almost in position to engage another tier or set of boards, when they would be stopped until a proper amount of lumber to make a tier shall have accumulated. If sufficient lumber for the second tier shall have accumulated when the lugs reach the starting-point, the chains need not then be stopped, but will be permitted to continue. By placing all the boards of a Jfier on the trucks simultaneously much time is saved over the methods heretofore practiced of depositing the lumber of the trucks one board at a time.

It is a matter of importance that the operation of the conveyer-chains be under complete control of the operator, so that he can accurately regulate and control the stopping and starting of them and also to some extent their speed. For this purpose the mechanism now to be described will be employed.

On one end of the transverse shaft 9 agearwheel c is secured and adapted to receive 1no-.

tion from a pinion l), carried by a shaft c, the ends of which shaft are mounted in brackets CZ, secured to the framework. On the other end of the shaft c a friction wheel or pulley c is secured and adapted to receive motion from a small friction-wheelf. The frictionwheelf is carried by a shaft g, mounted in sliding bearings f', located in elongated slots f2 in the brackets d. The shaft g also has mounted thereon a band-wheel .72, to which motion may be imparted in any suitable manner. o

To each sliding block or bearing f one end of a lever t' is connected, said levers being also connected with the brackets d by means of levers i', the levers t' 'i' constituting togglelevers. To the free ends of the levers z' 'L' a rod j is pivotally connected, and the other end of said rod is pivotally connected to. an operating-lever 7c, pivoted to the framework. From this construction and arrangement of parts itwill be seen that when the lever k is operated the toggle-levers will be made to move the shaft g toward or away from the shaft c. When the shaft g is moved toward the shaft c, the friction-wheels will be brought into contact with each other and the band which passes over the band wheel or pulley 7L will be tightened and thus cause motion to be imparted to the conveyer-chains. The speed of the latter can to some extent be regulated by regulating the frictional contact between the friction-wheels e f.

When it is desired to stop the conveyerchains, it is simply necessary to operate the lever 7e, so as to cause the friction-wheel f to be moved away from the friction-wheel c, and at the same time the belt passing over the pulley 7L will be slackened.

It will be noticed (in Fig. 2 of the drawings) that the upper ends of the spacingsticks are beveled, as at Z. The purpose of this is to permit the outer faces of said sticks to be exactly in line with the outer faces of the top stops 38.

Various slight changes might be made in the details of construction of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof o1' limiting its scope, and hence Ido not wish to `limit myself to the precise details of construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In alumber-stacking machine, the combination with suitable framework and a truck, of means for depositing lumberon said truck in complete tiers of several boards, standards on said trucks, and movable guide-bars disposed parallel with said standards, substantially as set forth.

IIO

of means for depositing lumber on said truck in tiers having spacing-sticks between them, a stop for the upper ends of said sticks, and spring-stops adapted to bear against the lower ends of the spacing-sticks and press them against the lumber, substantially as set forth.

4. In a lumber-stacking machine, the combination with suitable framework and a truck, of means for depositing lumber on the truck, sticks for spacing the tiers apart, said sticks having beveled upper ends, stops against which said beveled upper ends of the sticks bear while a tier of lumber is being deposited onto the truck, and a bottom stop for each stick, substantially as set forth.

5. In alumber-stacking apparatus, the combination with suitable framework and a truck, of standards projecting from said truck, guide-bars disposed parallel with said standards, means for depositing lumber between said standards and guide-bars, and means for moving said guide-bars whereby to cause them to engage the lumber on the truck and move the latter forward to make room for another tier of' lumber to be deposited on the truck, .substantially as set forth.

6. In a lumber-stacking machine, the combination with suitable framework and a truck, of standards carried by the truck, movable guide-bars, means for depositing tiers of lumber between said standards and guide-bars, means for moving said guide-bars forwardly and cause them to engage the lumber on the truck and mOVe the latter forwardly, and stops for limiting the movement of the guidebars and truck, substantially as set forth.

7. In a lumber-stacking machine, the combination with suitable framework and a truck, of standards projecting upwardly from said truck, movable guide bars, means for depositing tiers of lumber between said standards and guide-bars, arms having rack-bars, secured to said guide-bars, shafts mounted on the framework, toothed segments carried by said shafts and adapted to mesh with said rack-bars and means for operatingall of said shafts and segments simultaneously, whereby to cause the guide-bars to move forwardly against the lumber and move the truck'for- Wardly, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a lumber-stacking machine, the combination with suitable framework and a truck, 0f standards projecting upwardly from the forward end of said truck, movable guidebars, means for depositing tiers of lumber between said guide-bars and standards, brackets having rack-bars, secured to said guidebars, shafts mounted on the framework, toothed segments carried by said shafts and meshing with said rack-bars, arms projecting from said shafts, a rod connecting said arms, j

lbar connected with the framework, and a clamp on said bar adapted to bear against the standard and prevent the accidental displacement of the truck, said clamp being so constructed as to permit the. truck to be moved when sufficient pressure is applied to the truck, and means for applying pressure to the truck to move Yit to receive successive tiers of lumber, substantially as set forth.

10. In a lumber-stacking machine, the combination with suitable framework and trucks, of a standard at the forward end of each truck, means for depositing lumber on the trucks, a horizontal bar projecting from the framework in proximity to each standard and a clamp on each horizontal bar adapted to bear against the standards, whereby to prevent accidental.

displacement of the trucks, substantially as set forth.

ll. In a lumber-stacking machine, the combin ation wi th suitable framework and trucks, of a standard at the forward end of each truck, horizontal bars projecting from the framework, a clutch on each horizontal bar and adapted to bear against the standards, and a weighted arm on each clutch, substantially as set forth.

12. In a lumber-stacking machine, the combin ation with suitable framework and trucks, of standards at the forward ends of said trucks, an adjustable timber on the framework, horizontal bars projecting from said adjustable timber, and clutches on said hori zontal bars and adapted to bear against said standards, whereby to prevent the displacement of the trucks, substantially as set forth.

13. In a lum ber-stacking machine, the combination with suitable framework and t-rucks, of aseries of conveyer-chains constructed and adapted to deposit lumber onto said trucks, curved straps secured at one end to the framework, a movable timber secured to the other ends of said straps and weighted cords connected with said timber, substantially as set forth.

14:. In alumber-stacking machine, the combination with suitable framework and trucks, conveyer-chains adapted to deposit lumber onto said trucks, and an adjustable timber carrying stops for the upper end of spacingsticks, substantially as set forth.

15. Inalumber-stacking machine, the combination with suitable framework and trucks, of a series of conveyerchains adapted to den posit lumber on said trucks in tiers, an ad- IOO IIO

IIS

justable timber, and plates secured to said adjustable timber, the lower ends of said plates constituting stops for the upper ends of spacing-sticks and the upper ends being curved and constituting guides for the lnmber, substantially as set forth.

16. In a lumber-stacking machine, the combination with suitable framework and trucks, of standards at the forward ends of said trucks, a series of guide-bars, and means for depositing lumber between said guide-bars and standards, substantially as set forth.

17. In a lumber-stacking1 machine, the combination with suitable framework and trucks, of a series of conVeyer-ohains constructed and adapted to deposit lumber onto said trucks in tiers, of sprocket wheels over which said chains pass, a gear-wheel on the shaft of one series of sprocket-wheels, a pinion to impart motion to said gear-wheel, a friction-wheel on the said shaft with said pinion, a shaft mounted in sliding bearings, a small friction-wheel carried by said shaft and adapted to be made to transmit motion to the iirstmentioned friction-wheel, a belt-wheel on the last-mentioned shaft, toggledevers connected with said sliding bearings, and an operating-lever connected with said toggle-levers, substantially as set forth.

18. In alumber-stacking machine, the combination with suitable framework and trucks, of a'series of upright guide-bars on the framework and upright bars on the trucks, the guide-bars on the frame being offset with respect to the upright bars on the trucksmhereby to permit a board of more than average thickness to spring,r between the bars on the frame and the bars on the trucks, substantially as set forth. In testimon5T whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. l

GEORGE W. SOULE. 1V itnesses M. KEETON, H. V. WALL. 

